JAPAN

The United States is playing down talk of a breakthrough with Pyongyang after former U.S. President Bill Clinton flew to North Korea this week to win the release of two jailed American journalists.

Korea East-West Power Co Ltd (EWP) and LG Corp are considering a joint venture in Australia this year, mainly to procure coal in the spot market for EWP, industry sources close to the deal said on Thursday.

Imagine waving your cell phone and being admitted through the turnstile of a subway station, or ordering and paying for a gift without once having to open your wallet or enter a credit-card number.

Asian stocks edged up close to 11-month highs on Thursday on strength in resource-related shares, while the Australian dollar gained after a surprise rise in employment prompted increased bets on higher interest rates.

Stocks in Shanghai dropped 3 percent on Thursday, weighed by speculation China may take more steps to rein in liquidity, slashing the Australian dollar's gains, while copper slid from 10-month highs after disappointing U.S. services data.

President Barack Obama urged the economically battered U.S. heartland on Wednesday to resist hard times and pledged $2.4 billion to help create green jobs and ease the pain of rising unemployment.

Imagine waving your cell phone and being admitted through the turnstile of a subway station, or ordering and paying for a gift without once having to open your wallet or enter a credit-card number.

Leading global automakers reported forecast-beating quarterly results on Tuesday, but continued to give cautious outlooks for the industry, which remains hard hit by weak demand and a lack of consumer credit.

Americans fresh out of university are discovering their expensive degrees are not the entry ticket to a job they had hoped in the face of high unemployment.

The rally in global equities took a breather on Wednesday while the dollar hovered near its 2009 lows with two major central banks' policy meetings and key U.S. labor data looming.

Asian stocks steadied near 11-month highs on Wednesday, as investors paused for breath before more earnings reports, but rising dairy prices pushed the New Zealand dollar to a 10-month peak.

Toshiba Corp's loss-making LCD unit will invest in a joint venture in China to tap growing demand for mobile phone displays and offload equipment as it shifts its focus in Japan to high-resolution products.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton's successful mission to Pyongyang to win freedom for two jailed American journalists carries with it new risks to the Obama administration's efforts to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton left North Korea on Wednesday with two American journalists whose release he secured in a meeting with the hermit state's leader, possibly opening the way to direct nuclear disarmament talks.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton left North Korea on Wednesday with two American journalists whose release he secured in a meeting with the hermit state's leader, possibly opening the way to direct nuclear disarmament talks.

Leading global automakers reported forecast-beating quarterly results on Tuesday, but continued to give cautious outlooks for the industry, which remains hard hit by weak demand and a lack of consumer credit.

Leading global automakers reported forecast-beating quarterly results on Tuesday, but continued to give cautious outlooks for the industry, which remains hard hit by weak demand and a lack of consumer credit.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to try to negotiate the release of two U.S. journalists convicted by the communist state of grave crimes, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

The semi-official China News Service quickly withdrew a report on Tuesday that said China had suspended iron ore negotiations with Australian miners, offering no further insight on the status of fraught price talks.

Leading global automakers reported forecast-beating quarterly results on Tuesday, but continued to give cautious outlooks for the industry, which remains hard hit by weak demand and a lack of consumer credit.

Toyota Motor Corp said its annual loss would be smaller than earlier forecast thanks to deeper cost cuts and government measures to jump-start sluggish global auto demand, but remained cautious on the prospects for a sustainable recovery.